120 WILD LIFE CONSERVATION 



men who dolefully talk about cold winters and go 

 right on shooting. Let us stand for our native 

 game, right or wrong, and demand for it just and 

 rational treatment. We can bring it back if we 

 will! 



In stocking new game-preserves, both national 

 and private, the question of inbreeding frequently 

 is raised. Naturally, there is solicitude that the 

 original stock should not deteriorate, and private 

 owners usually are willing to expend both effort 

 and money in preventing deterioration through 

 inbreeding. 



Several celebrated cases of the inbreeding of wild 

 animals have come to our knowledge, and from 

 them we may draw a definite conclusion. The 

 European red deer of the North Island of New 

 Zealand represents the greatest case of inbreeding 

 of wild animals on record. Originally, New Zea- 

 land possessed no large game, and no deer of any 

 kind. In 1864, three European red deer were taken 

 from the royal park at Windsor Castle, England, 

 and after many vicissitudes were liberated not far 

 from Christchurch. The trio consisted of a buck 

 and two does. They found an abundance of food, 

 and promptly they settled down in their new home 

 and began to breed. Now, the North Island con- 

 tains not less than 10,000 deer, every one of which 

 has descended directly from the famous three. 

 And here is the strangest part of the story: The red 

 deer of New Zealand are to-day physically larger 



